The report summarizes the evaluation by the Western Australian Council for Special Education of the needs of the handicapped children enrolled at the Sir James Mitchell Spastic Center School. Findings regarding general issues in special education, cerebral palsied children in Western Australia, and educational alternatives and considerations are…

Effects of two 9-month sports programs (four or two sessions per week) on daily physical activity (PA), fat mass (FM), and physical fitness were assessed in 20 Dutch children (ages 7-13) with spastic cerebral palsy. Four sessions per week tended to increase PA ratio and held FM constant. (Author/CR)

The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ) was used along with the Test of Playfulness (TOP) to assess 16 children with cerebral palsy who took part in a study of virtual reality play intervention. Both observational measures are designed to assess children as they are engaged in occupations in one or more environments. Virtual reality offers an…

This study investigated typically developing children's attitudes to physical and intellectual disabilities using the "Peer Attitudes Toward the Handicapped Scale" (PATHS). Participants were 202 children aged from 9 to 12 years in mainstream classes in the UK. The effect of knowledge about disabilities on attitudes was investigated by…

Thirty-six English children with cerebral palsy (ages 3-4) were compared on their skills for independence. Nineteen of the children were enrolled in a Conductive Education Program, and 17 were enrolled in special education programs. Results indicate there were no significant differences between the two groups in their independence skills.…

Reports were elicited from 56 Bengali parents of children (ages 1-18) with cerebral palsy on activities they engaged in with their child and on the toys the child possessed. The majority reported spending time playing with their child and all respondents named at least two toys belonging to their child. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The Dohsa method, a therapeutic method used for children with autism, was originally developed for children with cerebral palsy in Japan. This article introduces the theoretical background, therapeutic techniques, and effectiveness of this method. The necessity of combining this method with other therapeutic techniques is discussed. (Contains…

This paper evaluates two research projects concerned with conductive education for children with cerebral palsy, one in Germany and the other in the United Kingdom. Issues of generalizability and drawing causal conclusions are raised. The paper finds that neither the most sanguine expectations nor the worst misgivings about conductive education…

This booklet is designed to sensitize and inform the scuba diving instructor on appropriate attitudes and successful methods for teaching scuba diving to persons with physical disability. It addresses misconceptions about people with disabilities and the importance of effective two-way communication and mutual respect between instructors and…

The majority of children with cerebral palsy in developing countries have no access to trained therapists; for example, in Pakistan, there is less than one trained general physiotherapist per million population. In Pakistan, cerebral palsy handling skills were taught to a group of parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals in a series of practical…

A pilot study evaluating the use of conductive education for children and adults with cerebral palsy and other motor impairments in Germany concluded that a straightforward transfer of the Hungarian system into German society is not desirable but that conductive education should be adapted to each country's rehabilitation system. The modification…

A survey investigated aging in 37 men and 28 women with mental retardation in three age groups: 40-49, 50-59, and 60+ living in group homes and apartments in Israel. Results indicate declines as early as age 40 in physical health. The most common ailment is diabetes, followed by weight problems. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Results of the Nowicki Locus of Control Scale indicated that the instrument did not differentiate between mildly handicapped Australian children with cerebral palsy (N=85) integrated into regular schools and their nondisabled peers (N=1391) nor was it a significant correlate of academic or social performance for the target group. (Author/CB)

Results of a one-word handwriting task performed by 111 physically handicapped children (ages 6-12) at the Institute for Motor Disorders (Budapest, Hungary) are discussed in the context of conductive education, orthofunction (the ability to function independently without physical aids), and the organization of instructional programs in Hungary.…